The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has averted a potential fire disaster following the overturning of a fully loaded petrol tanker at Awoyaya along the Lekki–Epe Expressway in the early hours of Sunday.
PUNCH Online learnt that the incident occurred at about 2:00 a.m. on the inward lane of the expressway when the articulated vehicle conveying Premium Motor Spirit reportedly lost balance and overturned.
Confirming the development in a Sunday statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said the situation posed an imminent and grave danger to human lives, public and private property, as well as the immediate environment, due to the volatile nature of the tanker’s contents.
The agency said its Rescue and Recovery Unit was immediately deployed after a distress alert was received.
“Upon receipt of a distress alert, LASTMA’s Rescue and Recovery Unit was expeditiously deployed to the scene, where operatives promptly demarcated a secure safety perimeter, enforced comprehensive traffic control measures and initiated preparatory recovery procedures,” the statement read.
According to LASTMA, the swift response prevented fuel scooping, secondary collisions and a possible fire outbreak.
“This swift and coordinated intervention effectively curtailed the activities of fuel scoopers, prevented secondary collisions, and decisively forestalled what could have degenerated into a catastrophic fire disaster,” the agency stated.
LASTMA added that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service was also mobilised to the scene and immediately activated safety protocols.
“In parallel response, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service was promptly mobilised to the location and immediately activated stringent fire prevention and containment protocols, including sustained surveillance to eliminate any risk of ignition,” the statement said.
The agency noted that no casualty was recorded and traffic was temporarily halted to allow emergency responders stabilise the situation before normal vehicular movement was restored.
“Transloading operation into another empty 33,000-litre tanker was meticulously executed under stringent supervision and exhaustive scrutiny by emergency response personnel,” LASTMA stated.
Commending the inter-agency response, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, praised the professionalism of responders.
“LASTMA operatives and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service demonstrated exceptional professionalism and operational vigilance, which prevented what could have been a midnight inferno,” Giwa said.
The agency also warned tanker and articulated vehicle operators to prioritise safety.
“The agency once again admonishes tanker and articulated vehicle operators to exercise the highest degree of caution, ensure rigorous vehicular maintenance and adhere strictly to prescribed safety regulations, particularly during nocturnal operations,” the statement added.
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